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From Jan 01, 1999 To Jul 30, 2010
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Mar 4, 2010; 09:09AM - Skeena River Regional Fishing Report
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Category: Canada
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Author Name: Noel Gyger
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Author E-mail: noel@noelgyger.ca
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Report Description:
The photo of the week shows Dan Berg and his dad Norris with a nice Kalum River Chinook (King) Salmon landed a couple of years ago in the spring. The fish was quickly released after this photo was taken. This photo reminds us these beautiful fish will be coming soon. Have you booked your trip yet? The Kalum River is unique to have such an early run. Chinook and Steelhead caught on the same day is not uncommon.
Noel Gyger - WEEKLY FISHING REPORTS for Smithers, Terrace, Kitimat and Prince Rupert
February 21 to February 28, 2010
Number 162
Dear Fishing Friends:
SUMMARY: Weather is good but with scattered showers. Temperatures have been a little above average. More anglers are fishing for Cutthroat Trout, Dolly Varden Char and Steelhead using both fly, spin and conventional gear. The water is extremely low. The fish are spooked so a stealthy approach is needed to catch them. Using smaller terminal tackle is a good idea also. The lower end of the Zymoetz (Copper) River is fishing good for Steelhead and Trout. The Kalum River is fishing fair for Steelhead but you have to work hard to find them. Trout fishing is slow. It is mostly walk and wade as the water is too low for a jet boat. The Kitimat River is in good shape and fishing fair for Cutthroat Trout. The odd Steelhead is being caught also. Check out the Ron Wakita report below. Winter Chinook fishing in the Kitimat Harbour and Douglas Channel is poor right now and is weather dependent. Winter ocean Chinook fishing in Prince Rupert is good when the weather is good. Check out the Jeff Carlson report below. Lake ice fishing is slowing down in the Smithers area due to the warmer weather. Check out the Cory Koenig report below. Jason Munday in Terrace reports a few Steelhead landed on the Kalum River. Check out his report below. The main stem Skeena River is getting some action for Steelhead. There is a possibility to hook a Chinook also. I tried a little Trout fishing myself. Check out the video clip below. The fishing guides are preparing to start their season on March 15 on the Kalum River. Guiding is allowed on the Kalum River from March 15 to October 15.
February 25, 2010 One 'New' clip posted on Video Clips:
Dustin Kovacvich, head guide for Nicholas Dean Lodge and I went fly fishing for Trout on a small Skeena River tributary on Wednesday, February 24, 2010. Dustin caught a Bull Trout on his first cast...no kidding. We hooked a half dozen fish in less than three hours. If you want to learn 'how-to' catch Trout (Bull Trout, Dolly Varden Char, Cutthroat and Rainbow) on a 5/6 weight fly rod you need to watch this video. Click here for a direct link to the video It is also listed on the Video webpage. Title: Bull and Cutthroat Trout and listed in category Tips and Techniques. Clip #0079. Plays for 9:07 minutes.
Have “YOU” entered the following draw yet? Thank you to those who have...
Cast on link to view full size http://www.noelgyger.ca/articles/win-a-FREE-driftboat-fishing-trip.doc?
With the participation of some of the Best Dealers (Tackle Shops) in the Northwest I have distributed DVD players and Video clips featuring the Best Fishing in the Northwest highlighting several of the Best Guides and Charters in the Northwest using a variety of the Best Fishing Products on the Market today. The dealers that have the DVD players are: Home Hardware in Kitimat, J&E Tackle and Hunting Shop in Prince Rupert, Oscars Source for Sports in Smithers and Fish Tales Tackle Shop in Terrace. Please visit these shops to watch the shows.
NOW BOOKING for 2010: Let me know if I can be of service to book you with the 'best' fishing guide and/or fishing lodges for both river and ocean. There are NO extra charges to book through me, just a lot of free information and advice from a person with years and years of fishing and fish guiding experience. It is like hiring two guides for the price of one. I will promptly answer your questions and concerns. Cast here http://noelgyger.ca/special-guided.htm to read more of what I have to offer.
*** Don’t miss the opportunity to be guided for Steelhead on the Kalum River the last two weeks in March 2010. Season opener begins March 15th. Please contact me for details... Limited spots available...
Many people book three trips per year to our area; one trip in the spring (March-April-May), one trip in the summer (June-July-August) and one trip in the fall (September-October-November). They love having the same guide but fishing for different fish in different areas.
Be sure to check out my website at www.noelgyger.ca for news bulletins, mid week fishing updates, conservation, my history, quality waters strategy, special guided fishing trips, video clips, podcasts, scenic river photos, wildlife photos and others, comments from past guests, informational articles, archived fishing reports from 1996 through 2002 and a sportfishing market place. I hope it meets with your entire satisfaction. I am at your service.
FISHING GUIDE REPORTS FOR THIS WEEK ARE FROM:
Ron Wakita, Glen Kilcup, Ariel Kuppers, Dustin Kovacvich and Jeff Carlson
CURRENT REPORT and summary for Skeena and Tributaries:
TYPE OF FISH CAUGHT: Steelhead, Trout and Dolly Varden Char for river. Salmon, Halibut, Bottom Fish and Dungeness Crab for ocean.
Thank you for using barbless hooks! (This is a BC fishing regulation)
FISHING THIS WEEK: GOOD
WEATHER: Cloudy. A few flurries beginning early this morning changing to periods of rain this morning. High 6. Sunrise 7:26 AM Sunset 6:07 PM. Today’s yearly average temperatures: Maximum 5 degrees. Minimum - 2 degrees.
WEATHER REPORTS VIA TELEPHONE: Terrace 250-635-4192 Kitimat 250-632-7864 Prince Rupert 250-627-1155 Smithers 250-847-1958.
SKEENA RIVER: More and more anglers are fishing the mainstem Skeena River for Steelhead. Some folks have been having great success. The water has come up a little bit which should move in more Steelhead and Chinook, yes I said Chinook.
KALUM RIVER: Since the weather is good more anglers are heading out to try their luck fishing for Trout and Steelhead. Anglers are reminded of a bait ban January 1 to March 15. Fishing has been reported as fair. The water is very low and the fish are spooked in the shallow sections. Try to fish in the deep cut-banks. Trout fishing has been OK...but has really slowed down...as a result of the bait ban.
ZYMOETZ (COPPER) RIVER: Steelhead fishing is reported as fair. The upper section is closed as of December 31 but the lower section below the first canyon will stay open for the winter Steelheaders to enjoy.
Fishing Report from: Ron Wakita of Reliable Guide and Charters, Kitimat BC
KITIMAT RIVER: Typical for this time of year in the North West we received a mix of weather conditions. We had some rainy days, some sunny clear days and even a little snow but the Trout fishing continues to be good.
Feb 21 Martin Golhke landed a 15lb Steelhead under the Haisla Bridge. Martin was excited describing his first Steelhead of the year. Congratulations Martin!
Feb 23 Ariel Kuppers landed this Kitimat River Dolly Varden on his Fly Rod using a pink worm pattern. Ariel was fishing with his Dragonfly 9` 7 wt Rod and his Dragonfly Expedition 7/8 Fly reel. A 5wt Rod is better suited for Trout but this time of year there is always the potential of hooking a Steelhead. A 7wt would give Ariel a better chance of landing a Steelhead than a 5 wt which is why he used his 7wt rod.
Feb 24 Ariel Kuppers fly fishing the upper Kitimat landed a couple more Dolly Varden on a Fly. It snowed in the morning but Ariel said, 'it was really nice and sunny when he was out fishing' It was nice to catch Trout but I think Ariel may also be looking for an early Steelhead on his Fly rod.
SUMMARY: There was a few Steelhead landed and a few lost this week. Trout fishing will continue to be good and we can expect more Steelhead on the Kitimat as we head into March. Steelhead catch numbers on the Kitimat River can be outstanding in peak season. With enhancement of Steelhead by the Kitimat River Hatchery we are fortunate to have one the best Spring Steelhead Fisheries in the area. Stay Tuned!
DOUGLAS CHANNEL: Herring have been reported in the Kitimat Harbour more frequently this week but we still have not received many reports of Winter Chinook being caught.
We should be getting better results but I can only report the fishing as it is, is not how we would like it to be. A couple of boats went down to the outer waters for the weekend looking for some King Crab. Justin Lowes who is one of our Tackle store staff is in this group so I will share his results in this Fishing Report.
Thank You to everyone who has provided info or photos for this Fishing Report.
PS: We are booking for the 2010 Fishing Season. Please contact Noel noel@noelgyger.ca
Fishing Report from: Fishawk Guiding, Kitimat/Terrace BC
Hi Noel, this weekend I took Mike Primeau and Todd Henry out to Prince Rupert, BC on the ocean and despite gale force wind warnings all week, which were false (it had been glass smooth out there for at least 3 days prior to our outing ) we had a great day. We bottom fished a few spots and got into a few quillback rockfish and we all caught a few big sculpins (bullheads)
Our plan for the day was to troll for springs. Mike nailed this nice little Halibut while trolling our spring spot and not too long after, I hit my spring. The day was calm all day which was quite rare for Rupert and fishing was a success. Calcutta reels and Berkley big game were the days choice of tools. Luhr Jensen flashers with rolling anchovies worked for the trolling. Jigging heavy buzz bombs caught the rest. Going out again soon...you should jump in sometime Noel! Tight lines Glen Kilcup, Fishawk Guiding
Fishing Report from: Fishing Report from: J & E Tackle Shop, Prince Rupert BC
Hi Noel, I have had a few reports of folks catching some Winter Springs. With the nice weather it has been windy at times. When the weather is not co-operative, the Prawning and Crabbing is a good alternative and is usually very productive this time of the year. Take advantage when the weather is nice and take to the water. Tight Lines and enjoy our North Pacific Playground
To book your charter for Winter Chinook onboard the Trish-Anne please contact Jeff Carlson of BC STYLE Fishing Charters www.bcstylefishingcharters.com
Thanks. Jeff Carlson – owner
Fishing Report from: Fish Tales Tackle Shop, Terrace BC
Hello Noel, well the weeks are passing fast. It will be spring before we know it. This week I have Willie McCleary with another beautiful Steelhead!! Caught on the Kalum. He was using a Sage RPL+ 8110-4, Islander FR #2 , Scientific Angler WF8 line and Seagar fluorocarbon leader. On the end of that was a Black Wooly Bugger. Awesome Willie! Good job! Thanks to his Trophy XL waterproof fishing jacket he was able to stay warm and dry for this great day on the river! Well fishers, get out there fishin and enjoy this awesome weather! Happy Fishing to all from Fish Tales Fly & Tackle Shop!!
Cheers! Jason Munday - manager
Everyone is invited to check out our New! instore flyer http://www.noelgyger.ca/ads/fish-tales-instore-flyer.pdf Out of town orders are always welcome. Come in for a coffee anytime.
Fishing Report from: Cory Koenig of Webflyz, Smithers BC
Cory Koenig is taking custom fly orders for any species now at www.webflyz.com
Highest Quality, Durable, and Competitively Priced Flies for any Species!
Hello Noel, Spring is near, and the Olympics are almost done. GOLD CANADA GOLD!!! In the excitement, I have made some Olympic Medal flies that are sure to catch fish! Using the ever popular BLUE for steelhead, these flies were created!
http://www.webflyz.com/fishing-resources/fly-talk.html is where you can view the GOLD, SILVER, and BRONZE medal flies!
Nothing much to report, except I am sure everyone is tying flies these days for a great anticipated spring steelhead trip very soon!
There is some great opportunities to ice-fish for large char in the Smithers/Houston area though, eating most any baitfish imitations you may have! Check out GUMMY MINNOWS for great success, especially for sea-run trout!
Babine Lake has provided some decent char and rainbow trout ice fishing, although the ice is becoming submerged with water. Many small lakes around Tukkii Lodge and the Nilkitkwa road and the entire Babine Lake road leading up to Babine Lake are filled with an abundance of cutthroat and rainbows. Weather has been very good for ice fishing this past week, but getting anglers out there is a different story. We have an abundance of fishing opportunities in the Bulkley Valley, time to take advantage! Spring is near, and many anglers are very itchy for spring steelhead fishing!
... Need CHAR catching flies? Then look at webflyz.com or give me a call 1-250-877-2021 or, ...if you are in need of lures or anything else for ice-fishing, contact Steve Hidber at Oscar's Source for Sports.
Anticipation is definitely on spring fishing in the Terrace area for steelhead. Many new anglers/customers are asking about this years steelhead fishing in our beautiful province!
Do you need to top up your fly box?!?! Sick of tying flies yourself? Check out Webflyz B.C.! Any flies can be custom made for your specific fishing situation.
Contact Cory at WEBFLYZ B.C. www.webflyz.com for ice-fishing flies and more.
Check newly added fly photos at www.webflyz.com or... if you are planning a trip to hotter destinations like Belize, Mexico, Bahamas, or even the Cayman Islands check out WEBFLYZ B.C.'s website for select boxed flies that are working for many anglers right now!!! Bonefish and Stripers are sought after at the moment! From Steelhead to Stripers, Salmon to Sailfish, this fishing year has already begun in some of the warmer states!
Check your 2009-2011 Freshwater fishing Regulations synopsis for all details concerning B.C. Lakes and upcoming spring/summer steelhead fishing in Region 6.
Good luck everyone. Yours sincerely, Cory Koenig
PRODUCT PROFILE Islander Reels www.islander.com
Manufacture of World-Class and Specialty Fishing Reels
Islander Reels has been manufacturing precision Center Pin, Fly and Mooching reels for over 15 years as a division of The J.S. Foster Corporation of Saanichton, near Victoria, B.C., Canada.
'In order to land the big fish you need a reel that you can depend on, a reel that will hold its own in the face of a challenge. For over 15 years Islander Reels have been put to the test in some of the most extreme sports fishing conditions in the world. In our constant quest for perfection, Islander Reels have evolved into the best reels on the market. From detailed design and ingenious machining to the final finishing touch, Islander Reels have been built to last, built to excel and built to provide you with the fishing experience of a lifetime.'
Islander Reels is the Number One choice of Professional Guides in the North West.
Islander Dealers in the Northwest: City Centre Hardware and Sporting Goods in Kitimat, Oscars Source for Sports in Smithers and Fish Tales Tackle Shop in Terrace
Contact info: Islander Precision Reels 6771 Kirkpatrick Crescent Saanichton B.C. V8M1Z8 Canada Phone 250-544-4856 Fax: 250-544-1450 www.islander.com
AREA RIVER RECORDS: Chinook Salmon: Skeena River, 92.5-pounds; Kalum River, 85-pounds; Kitimat River, 74-pounds; Steelhead: Skeena River, 45-pounds; Coho Salmon: Skeena River, 27-pounds.
FISHING REGULATIONS WEBSITES:
2009-2011 BC tidal waters and non-tidal (Federal) Salmon fishing information:
www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/recfish
Effective April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2011
2009-2011 Freshwater (Provincial) Fishing Regulations Synopsis:
www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish
Effective April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2011 (Note: regs good for two years)
GUEST FISHING PHOTOS:
*** If any of you have special fishing photos, testimonials, scenic river photos, wildlife photos or articles I would love to see them.
Catch & Release formula:
- Chinook: girth squared x length x 1.54 divided by 1000 (inches)
- Steelhead: girth squared x length x 1.33 divided by 1000 (inches
Fiberglass fish reproductions
This 42 x 23.5 inch Steelhead was estimated to weigh 30-pounds. There are many sizes and positions available, and pretty much any species. Call Carey Braun anytime at 250-639-3769 and he will be happy to build one for you. Yes, that’s Carey in the photo. Place your order NOW
WIN a FREE one day DRIFT BOAT FISHING TRIP down the Kitimat River for three people by signing-up your friends, family and fishing partners for my WEEKLY FISHING REPORT. This trip is supplied by Reliable Guide and Charters and is for the 2010 season. The LUCKY WINNER will be drawn on April 30, 2010. Cast to this link to open a form showing how to enter names. Send the completed form via e-mail or postal mail. When I receive it I will reply confirming your name is entered into the draw - GOOD LUCK
To receive my WEEKLY FISHING REPORT and PHOTO via e-mail please send your name and e-mail address to: Noel Gyger noel@noelgyger.ca
GOOD LUCK and GOOD FISHING!
Yours sincerely,
Noel F. Gyger
Guided Fishing Adventures and Weekly Fishing Report
4012 Best Street, Terrace BC V8G 5R8, Canada
Tel/Fax: (250) 635-2568
Cell: (250) 631-2678
E-mail: noel@noelgyger.ca
Home Page: www.noelgyger.ca
Fishing Reports: www.noelgyger.ca/past-fishing-reports.htm
RECORD SALMON & STEELHEAD Spin or fly-fishing
RIVER, LAKE, STREAM or OCEAN!!!
Follow Noel Gyger updates on Twitter: http://twitter.com/guided_fishing |
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Mar 1, 2010; 12:11PM - Cabo Bite Report
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Category: Mexico Cabo San Lucas
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Author Name: George Landrum
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Author E-mail: gmlandrum@hotmail.com
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Report Description:
CABO SAN LUCAS FISH REPORT
Capt. George Landrum
Fly Hooker Sportfishing
www.flyhooker.com
gmlandrum@hotmail.com
Feb. 22-28, 2010
Weather: Mostly sunny skies made us happy all week and the temperatures could not have been better. The morning lows were down to 59 degrees a couple of days and our daytime highs were as high as 87 degrees. We had no rain but did have a bit of a breeze during the middle of the week.
Water: Water conditions were mixed this week. At the end of the week the water on both sides of the Cape were in the 73-74 degree range from Past Punta Gorda on the Cortez side to the San Jaime Bank on the Pacific side and this warm water extended to the south 30 miles and more. In a change from our usual, the warm water was off color, being a bit on the green side and occasionally very green. The only place anyone was able to find good blue water was 40 miles to the south, but it was 71 degrees and a long run. Surface conditions were decent on both sides of the peninsula but directly south the currents collided and for 25 miles the water was very disturbed and cross-chopped and swelled.
Bait: There were Pacific Green-backed Mackerel at the normal $3 per bait and up in the Palmilla area boats were selling Sardinas in the 3' size for $25 a scoop.
FISHING
Billfish: I wish I had better news on the Billfish, but it seems to have become a common refrain every week for me, once again there were Striped Marlin caught, but not in numbers to get excited about. Fish were seen close to the shore in the greenish water on the Cortez side, we had anglers this week bottom fishing for Grouper and Snapper who dropped a live mackerel halfway to the bottom while fishing in 150 feet of water and they hooked two Marlin, releasing one and losing the other. Other boats were seeing one here and one there on the surface in the same type of conditions. There was no consistent bite nor was there any regularity to the areas they were being found.
Yellowfin Tuna: Well, the Yellowfin had some regularity to where they were being found, and that was way out there! Most of the fish found this week were from football size to 30 pounds and it was a long run for a consistent bite. While there were fish found as close as 18 miles due south and 24 miles at 210 degrees, most of the action this week was due east 35 miles or due south at 40 miles, a long two hour run for the charters. If you got into the right porpoise pod the action was hot and heavy, but there were a lot of pods that were not associated with fish. If you were in the right ones, almost anything was working, from feathers to marlin lures to cedar plugs, it didn't seem to matter.
Dorado: The Dorado seemed to be missing in action this week. While boats were able to find the type of debris that would normally hold these fish (weed lines, dead seals, wood) there were no fish under any of them. An occasional flag was flying from outriggers at the end of the day, but I saw no boat with more than two yellow flags.
Wahoo: What Hoo?? I saw lots of orange flags flying this week, but they were all for Sierra.
Inshore: Once again inshore fishing was where you wanted to be for consistent action. While the fish were not large, there was an abundance. The most common catch was Sierra and most boats did not have any problem limiting on them. Small swimming plugs, hootchies and live Sardinas, all rigged with a small trace of wire leader resulted in plenty of fish in the box. Anglers working yo-yo style jigs of rocky bottom did well on Amberjack to 25 pounds, Grouper to 20 pounds and Snapper to 20 pounds with an occasional larger specimen of each in the mix. There were also plenty of Roosterfish to be had, unfortunately most of them were the small 5 pound or less class, but there was an occasional school of 20-25 pound fish that gave good action. Yellowtail provided some steady action with fish to 30 pounds for boats that worked the points on the Pacific side, but several shrimp boats put a crimp on the action as they anchored on the schools and had 10 guys hand-lining with shrimp heads as bait. Watching the fish come over the rail one after the other really let you know how many there were in the school. After the boats left (two days on the spots) you were lucky to find one Yellowtail.
Notes: Whales are still providing a show for everyone, both Humpbacks and a few Gray whales are always in view. I don't know if there is any correlation between these things, but along with the warm, green water has come the Humboldt Squid. A lot of the boats are stopping to jig up a few of these after a long offshore trip just to get something for their anglers to pull on. Spot the bird piles working just off the surface and you can see the squid. Pull up so that your lures sink and pretty soon you are hooked up. Don't get inked though, it's pretty nasty to get off. Our Tsunami after the earthquake in Chile was a non-event. We had a few hours of the marina water ebbing and surging, stirring up the bottom silt and turning the water in the Marina a really dirty color. I heard that the marina in San Jose had a few issues, mostly because of the narrow entrance causing a 5-knot current during the surges, but all in all things are fine. Until next week, tight lines! |
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Feb 23, 2010; 04:29PM - Lake Toho Bass Fishing
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Category: Florida
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Author Name: Capt Tim Fey
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Author E-mail: tim@bassfishingfl.com
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Report Description:
The first half of February has seen some great bass fishing action, as well as a few days of tougher bass fishing with passing cold front. The days the bite has been tougher than normal, numbers were down, but the best part was size was up. Live bait as well as artificial baits both were doing great right up to the last cold front, that was when the switch was made to use live wild shiners as well as the artificial baits.
Lake Toho has definitely been the place to be with both live wild shiners and artificial baits not only catching some good numbers, but some nice size as well. The northern end of lake toho has seemed to be the best producing area, with some nice 4 and 5 pound bass coming from right along Lake Shore Drive area. Flipping into the cover or pitching the wild shiners along the edges has been the best way to catch them. Water temperatures have finally started to climb back into the low 60’s and beds have been popping up everywhere, so the big spawn is just about to kick in.
When the cold fronts have hit us, they usually have brought higher winds, which has had us move to Conway Chain, now the bass as some would say are smaller on Conway Chain, with bigger numbers, But don’t tell Eric that, as he landed a sweet bass right around 5 pounds and she was looking very healthy. If you know where to fish this body of water, you will catch big bass and quality bass.
Capt Tim Fey
Bassfishingfl.com |
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Feb 22, 2010; 11:03PM - IXtapa Zihuatanejo fishing report Feb 20 2010
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Category: Mexico Ixtapa Zihuatanejo
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Author Name: Stan Lushinsky
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Author E-mail: ixtsptf@epix.net
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Report Description:
THE IXTAPA-ZIHUATANEJO FISH REPORT - THE INDEPENDENT SPORTFISHING FLEET
According tto Captain Temo Verboonen, owner/skipper of the Secuestro
De Amor, the offshore sailfish bite was much improved this past week
from Zihuatanejo. In fact, he rated the sailfish bite very good and
sustained throughout most of the days. Still plentty of floatingg
kelp around the area and starting to gather bait under the patches
and more dorado showing up. In general, the billfish were scattered
from about 6 miles and out to 20 miles but the concentration was
about 14 miles during the middle of the day. Temo also noted that
the fish were chasing fast trolled baits & lures at about 8-9 knots.
Some nicer sized yellowffin tuna came througgh at about 19 miles,
running with the porpoise, and averaging about 60 lbs. They bit hard
and fast and a variety of artificials.
The inshore fishing is still very good for jack cravelle, bonito and
Spanish mackerel, (Sierra) and some big roosterfish are showing up at
Pantla Beach, near Trancones. The roosters are only biting the live
bait, hooked between the head & dorsal fin, (which makes the bait go
deep). The roosters are holding in the deeper water and the top-
water poppers are not working at all.
I/Z Climate: Mostly cloudy but overall, good weather that ranged
from 71 nights to a toasty 89 daytime high.
Sea Conditions: A calm week with good temps that were stable at 81
inshore and rising to 82.5 offshore
Best fishing area: While the fish spread was pretty wide, it seemed
like the better billfish catching was during the middle of the day at
about 14 miles from Zihuatanejo Bay.
Best Bait/Lure: Rigged baits and artificials |
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Feb 22, 2010; 11:01PM - San Jose Del Cabo February 21, 2010
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Category: Mexico Cabo San Lucas
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Author Name: Eric
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Author E-mail: none
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Report Description:
Gordo Banks Pangas
San Jose del Cabo
February 21, 2010
Anglers –
There seemed to be an increase of visitors traveling to the Los Cabos area this past
week, most likely people are seeking out warmer wintertime weather conditions, as
harsh temperatures continue to sweep across much of the United States. February is
one of the more unpredictable and cooler months in Southern Baja, water temperatures
typically are on a cooling trend, there are exceptionally strong currents, varying
wind patterns contribute to off colored currents moving in and this can change
clarity from day to day . At this time the water temperatures are above normal,
ranging from 73 to 75 degrees throughout most of the region, with an area of 78
degree water hanging 18 to 20 miles offshore of Cabo San Lucas. Last week there were
several days of gusty winds, predominately from the north, but also turning around
and blowing from the south. This turned over the inshore waters, where blue water
had been found as close to one mile from shore, now the color
in the same areas is greenish and this usually means that pelagic species such as
wahoo, dorado, striped marlin and yellowfin tuna become scattered and
uncooperative.
Anglers found much different fishing action this week due to the change in
conditions, wahoo, dorado, tuna and marlin were either very scarce or nonexistent.
Most of the dorado found were actually very close to shore, this is where there were
more baitfish schooling to attract the migrating dorado, as well as sierra and
smaller sized roosterfish. Sierra action is normally a sure bet during the winter
months along local beaches, so far this season has been an up and down situation,
some days there were big numbers to report, while on other days anglers were lucky
to find one or two fish. Hard to pinpoint what the reason for this is, though there
were reports of gill net activity happening along the remote and unpatrolled East
Cape region and this is never a good thing.
While surface action slowed and came to a standstill, the good news was that bottom
action started to show favorable signs of improving. The San Luis Bank was where
local panga fleets were concentrating their efforts, working with yo-yo jigs in
depths ranging from 120 to 180 feet, they were finding a mix of quality sized
amberjack up to 70 pounds, grouper, snapper, pargo, cabrilla, bonito and even a few
yellowfin tuna that were holding in deeper waters. Many charters were accounting for
a dozen fish in combination, but there was the factor of the breeze picking up early
and creating too fast of drift conditions.
We expect that the coming month will provide more consistent action for bottom
species, in addition there will be the option of trolling close to shore for sierra,
roosterfish and jacks. As conditions offshore stabilize, there should be improved
reports for striped marlin. It will also be the time when yellowfin tuna can be
encountered offshore schooling with fast traveling porpoise. So many options will be
available and prospects of the rapidly approaching spring season and the return of
more consistent surface action is just around the corner.
The combined panga fleet launching from La Playita/Puerto Los Cabos sent out
approximately 77 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 3
striped marlin, 1 sailfish, 6 hammerhead shark, 3mako shark, 39 dorado, 13 yellowfin
tuna,134 Mexican bonito, 192 sierra, 13 roosterfish, 3 pompano, 38 pargo, 31
amberjack, 23 cabrilla, 2 yellowtail and 28 triggerfish.
Good fishing, Eric
GORDO BANKS PANGAS
Eric Brictson
Owner/Operator
800 4081199
Los Cabos 1421147
ericgordobanks@yahoo.com
www.gordobanks.com |
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Feb 22, 2010; 12:42PM - Cabo Bite Report
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Category: Mexico Cabo San Lucas
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Author Name: George Landrum
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Author E-mail: gmlandrum@hotmail.com
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Report Description:
Cabo San Lucas Fishing Report
Capt. George Landrum
Fly Hooker Sportfishing
www.flyhooker.com
gmlandrum@hotmail.com
Feb. 15-21, 2010
Weather:
All right, finally a week with no rain but I think I like it better when we
get one day, at least! We had mostly sunny skies (even though I did not see
much of them) with our daytime highs in the high 70's, occasionally
touching the low 80's and our nighttime lows were in the high 50's.
Water:
We had interesting things happening with our water temperatures this past week.
Contrary to our normal pattern this time of year, the water on the Sea of Cortez
was, on average, cooler than that of the Pacific side, at least within 30 miles of shore.
On the Pacific side we were seeing an average of 74-76 degrees and on the Cortez
side it was averaging 72 degrees. There were a couple of anomalies however as at
the end of the week there appeared to be an intrusion of very warm (for this time of
year) 78-80 degree water at the end of the week from the east. This warm water
appeared 15 miles off of Punta Gorda as well as across the Cabrillo Seamount and
up to the 1150 spot.
Bait:
Caballito were the bait of the week at the usual $3 each and there were
some Sardinas available in the San Jose area at the normal $25 per scoop.
There were few if any Mackerel to be found this week.
FISHING
Billfish:
Marlin and Sailfish continued to be scarce this week and while a few were spotted
as well as caught, there were no large numbers of them anywhere. It appears that we
are not going to see a repeat of the fantastic Striped Marlin fishery we have been this
time of the year for the past three years, or if we do it means that everything else is
going to be all contrary for the rest of the year as well. The few fish that were caught
this week were found up in the Punta Gorda and Gorda Banks area as well as very close
to the beach on the Pacific side up around the Golden Gate Bank.
Yellowfin Tuna:
News for the Yellowfin Tuna fishermen is still bad as this week was a repeat of the
last week. The catch on Tuna is still spotty, a few fish found here and a few found there,
mostly it seems to be a matter of luck by boats that are actually in the historically
producing areas such as west of the San Jaime, due south 40 miles and outside the
1,000 fathom line anywhere on the Cortez side. The fish that were found were smaller
school fish to 35 pounds, but most of them were footballs at 5-15 pounds. All the fish
found were associated with porpoise.
Dorado:
The good news for the week was the reappearance of the warm water and a few
more Dorado showing up, and most of them were actually worth catching. If you
remember, last week there was a large school of very small fish at Gray Rock, well,
those fish were either all caught or got smart and moved on. This warm water brought
in some larger fish, and while the numbers have not been high, the fish have been
quality fish in the 25-40 pound class. A few of these fish were found on the Pacific
side around the sea mounts in the warm water, but the better ones came in on the warm
water flow from the east, and at the end of the week the area around the 1150, Cabrillo
Seamount and outside Punta Gorda were the places to be. Most of the fish were
hooked on lures being trolled for Striped Marlin, but there were some hooked up on
live bait as they followed a lure-caught fish in.
Wahoo:
Surprisingly there were still Wahoo to be caught out there. Most of those I heard of
were incidental catches, but at least they were there. The fish were not large, averaging
just under 25 pounds, but there were a few larger ones reported in the warm water
offshore. As incidental catches, most of them were caught on lures pulled for Tuna or
Striped Marlin, resulting in the majority of hook-ups being lost due to sliced leaders.
Inshore:
Overall the inshore fishery was the way to go this week if you wanted action, but
that didn't work for everyone. Unlike the last several weeks where the fish would
concentrate in one area for several days, this past week the fish seemed to be constantly
on the move. The Sierra, Yellowtail and Amberjack would be in one place in the
morning and 2 miles away in the afternoon. This may be due to the changing water
temperature moving the bait around, but for whatever reason one day could be red-hot
and the next ice-cold.
Notes:
The whales are still providing thrills and if you were fishing offshore that was a
good thing as sometimes that was the only action you might see. There were whales
inshore as well so combine the inshore action with the whale action and this week
inshore was the place to be. Things might change this coming week with the warm
water moving in, we will just have to wait and see how long that lasts. I didn't get out
much myself this week as I was down for 5 days with a nasty cold. I am feeling better
now and listening to Jack Johnson on his 2000 Everloving Records release 'Brushfire
Fairytales' helped me feel better! Until next week, tight lines! |
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Feb 22, 2010; 08:50AM - Z Rooster
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Category: Saltwater Fly Fishing Reports
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Author Name: Gary Graham
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Author E-mail: bajfly@bajafly.com
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Report Description:
Endless Season Update February 21, 2010
REPORT #1203 'Below the Border' Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
East Cape
Caption: Henning Morek - Denmark, Huge rooster Panga Dos Hermanos with Captain Adolfo
This has probably been the wettest February in a while. The good news is that it was the gentle soaking type rain that doesn't run off quickly. I guess it is a clue how slow the fishing has been recently, one hotel sent five boats out one day which is the single day's record for 2010. The lack of sierra continues to dismay fishermen who depend on them as a fallback. I saw a report this morning from down toward Cabo that suggested that there were reports that the lack of sierra was caused by gill net activity happening along the remote and unpatrolled East Cape region.
Inshore there are a few small dorado buzzing around that don't seem to stay in one place long. Offshore once in awhile a boat finds a cooperative striper and one unusual catch that was reported a few days ago was a sailfish which stayed late or arrived really early.
The most excitement is all the whales close to shore, huffing and puffing and leaping with reckless abandon.
Current East Cape Weather http://tiny.cc/EastCapeWeather303
Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico
What little action there was this week was at the Entrada where the firecracker yellowtail could be found feeding on the surface under the bird schools. Unfortunately, the sierra were mixed in with the yellowtail and there were a lot of fish lost because of the lack of wire leaders. Up above Lopez Mateos, the action was mostly grouper and cabrilla.
Current Magdalena Bay Weather http://tiny.cc/MagBayWeather150
Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
The fishing has been a bit erratic, but it is improving. On Monday, as brothers Henning and Ole Mork of Denmark did on the panga, Janeth with Captain Arturo, you go out and get three sailfish. Then go out the next day, but in a bit different area and a different boat, and not even get a strike all day.
However, Henning is on a roll. He is fishing with conventional gear but fished with Adolfo and his fly fishing son, Ufe, on the panga Dos Hermanos on Wednesday. They went up north to the Pantla area for jack crevalle and the possible shot for a rooster.
For three hours, Ufe had been up on the bow casting the fly…every time the hookless teaser came back to the boat. He took less than a 2-minute break to gulp down a sandwich and chug some water. Of course, this is when the huge rooster came slashing to the boat. The potential fly fishing world record was incredibly aggressive and going after anything near it. With Ufe unable to do anything but just watch, Henning was able to flip a bait at the fish with a spin rod and was hooked up solid.
The rooster was released, but Adolfo estimated it at 68 pounds. This is the second time this has happened with Ufe. Last year he and his Dad fished with me down at Puerto Vicente Guerrero. Ufe did get several dorado and a couple of decent roosters on the fly, but his Dad is the one who got the 50 pound rooster on conventional gear.
I had seen some small yellowfin tuna in the local Mercardo fish market, so I knew the commercial pangeros had found at least one school of tuna. Then, Santiago on the panga Gitana, came across diving birds at 10 miles fromr the port while fishing for sailfish. A live bait cast at them produced an 80-pound yellowfin for Ken Erdman of Pennsylvania.
Also, talking to Cali on the Vamonos II, he said he has been averaging about three sailfish a day for his clients…Ed Kunze
Current Zihuatanejo Weather http://tiny.cc/zihuatanejo582 |
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Feb 15, 2010; 12:01PM - Early Easter Egg Hunt??
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Category:
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Author Name: Gary Graham
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Author E-mail: bajafly@bajafly.com
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Report Description:
Endless Season Update February 14, 2010
REPORT #1202 'Below the Border' Saltwater Fly-Fishing reports since 1996
East Cape
Caption: So you thought that Mexico was protecting the turtles…
click here http://tiny.cc/turtleeggs
After a week of up and down weather, including some gentle rain, today finally seemed like the beginning a few good days. Throughout the week on the good days the sierra were thick enough to attract the attention of the local gillnetters…sigh. The bad news is the roosters have begun to show and of course the nets are not very selective. A few of the boats that did venture offshore, however, found a few tailers below the lighthouse, but unfortunately they didn't seem to be too interested.
Current East Cape Weather http://tiny.cc/EastCapeWeather303
Magdalena Bay, Baja Mexico
Still slow action or is it lack of fishermen? Either/or the squirrely weather has kept everyone off the water.
Current Magdalena Bay Weather http://tiny.cc/MagBayWeather150
Zihuatanejo, Mainland Mexico
The 80° water is still here, but the blue water is still off the charts somewhere. At about six miles, we at least have a decent 'clean' water, so a few fish are still in the area.
The fleet is averaging only about onw sailfish a day per boat, with a few small dorado showing up for a few boats. The biggest problem has been the tremendous amount of debris in the water. From just off the beach, to out beyond 20 miles, the floating grass and river bank vegetation that washed out of the Rio Balsas River has made it real difficult to keep a trolling spread from getting fouled. Last week's 12' of rain in 30 hours really opened the flood gates on the rivers and washed a lot of debris in.
It has been a deckhand's nightmare. Even with the captain dodging the worst of it, a line is always getting fouled.
Adolfo, on the panga Dos Hermanos II, has been working the areas to the North and has been doing well on some large jack cravelle......…Ed Kunze
Current Zihuatanejo Weather http://tiny.cc/zihuatanejo582 |
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Feb 15, 2010; 11:39AM - Cabo Bite Report
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Category: Mexico Cabo San Lucas
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Author Name: George Landrum
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Author E-mail: gmlandrum@hotmail.com
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Report Description:
Fly Hooker Sportfishing
Cabo San Lucas Fishing Report
Capt. George Landrum
gmlandrum@hotmail.com
www.flyhooker.com
Feb. 8-14, 2010
Weather:
Two weeks in a row now we have had rain for at least one day,
and a decent plant watering rain at that, not the window spotting stuff we
normally get. On Wednesday of this week we received over a 1/2 inch
during the day and almost the same that night. The rest of the week was
partly cloudy to mostly cloudy. Our nights were as low as 58 degrees
while the days were averaging 80 degrees. We had two days of strong
winds that kedpt most of the fleet working close to shore on the Cortez
side of the Cape, but that was all right as that was also where most of the
fish were found.
Water:
Water temperatures on the Cortez were in the 74-75 degree range while
on the Pacific side north of a line between the Cape and the San Jaime Bank
it cooled off to 71-72 degrees. Tuesday and Friday of this week the wind
was blowing stgrongly enough from the northwest that the Pacific side was
extremely uncomfortable to fish. The rest of the week water conditions on
the surface were good on the Pacific, but the fish were scarce. Conditions
on the Sea of Cortez were much better, but once you got north of Punta
Gorda the wind started to pick up.
Bait:
Caballito were the bait of the week at the ususal $3 each and there were
some Sardinas available in the San Jose area at the normal $25 per scoop.
There were few if any Mackerel to be found this week.
FISHING
Billfish:
For most of the week the Marlin and Sailfish would not bite, you could
find them but they were not hungry. Finaly at the end of the week the bite picked
up a little and boats began to get them to bite on both bait and lures. Most of
the fish I heard caught were found on the Cortez side of the Cape and the majority of
them were Striped Marlin. There were some Sailfish caught as well, a real suprise
considering the water temperature. The area outside of the 95 spot to the 1150
produced fish for a number of boats and a few were able to release as many as three
marlin per trip, not the numbers we have been expecting considering the last several
years production, but not bad.
Yellowfin Tuna:
The catch on Tuna is still spotty, a few fish found here and a few found there, mostly
it seems to be a matter of luck by boats that are actually in the historicaly producing
areas such as west of the San Jaime, due south 40 miles and outside the 1,000 fathom
line anwhere on the Cortez side. The fish that were found were smaller school fish to
35 pounds, but most of them were footballs at 5-15 pounds. All the fish found were
associated with porpoise.
Dorado:
We had almost no Dorado in the area at the beginning of the week, but just after the
first heavy winds came throught there was a big school of small fish (and some of them
were really small, smaller than Sierra) just off of the beach between Gray Rock and the
Westin on the Cortez side. These fish were within a mile of the beach and unfortunately
they were hammered hard by the fleet, many of the boats were keeping fish that only weighed
four or five pounds. The school was blasted quickly and by the end of the week the fish were
almost gone. There were a few larger fish found offshore on the Cortez side with some
of the fish going as large as 35 pounds, and most of these were caught on lures by
boats looking for Marlin.
Wahoo:
I did hear of a few Wahoo being caught this week, and they were found close
to the beach by boats working for the Dorado in the area. None of the fish were
large, averaging just 15 pounds, and a few more were lost due to monofiliment
leader, but it was still nice to see a few around.
Inshore:
Once again the inshore fishery was the way to go if you wanted action. While the action
offshore was slow, there were plenty of Sierra on both sides of the Cape to keep rods
bent and fishermen happy. Along with the Sierra were the occasional showing of Yellowtail,
Snapper and Grouper. Combine these traditional inshore species with the Dorado action and
everyone had some luck this week.
Notes:
Whale watchers were excited this week as there seemed to be action wherever you
looked, breaching whales, blowing whales, singles and small pods. Inshore was where the
fishing action was this week, but we hope the Marlin start to show up on the Pacific side soon!
This weeks report was written to the music of 'Yes' on their 1999 Beyond Music release 'The Ladder'.
Until next week, tight lines! |
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Feb 13, 2010; 08:26PM - THE IXTAPA-ZIHUATANEJO FISH REPORT - THE INDEPENDENT SPORTFISHING FLEET
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Category: Mexico Ixtapa Zihuatanejo
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Author Name: Stan Lushinsky
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Author E-mail: ixtsptf@epix.net
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Report Description:
THE IXTAPA-ZIHUATANEJO FISH REPORT - THE INDEPENDENT SPORTFISHING FLEET
Our on-site representative and charter boat owner/skipper, Captain Temo Verboonen, reported that the fishing was very good in the early week but gradually tapered downward as the week progressed. Captain Chiro Barrigan, skipper of the 'Bloody Hook' reported a very good couple of days with two different angling customers that reflected 2 sailfish released on the first day and 3 sailfish released on the 2nd day. Temo had a report of one blue marlin landed, a 350-pounder and good reports of stripers being visually sighted but not being cooperative with the biting. Some of the boats were reporting a billfish or two but some were also reporting no fish for the day. The inshore fishing remains good for the jack cravelle and bonito and the roosterfish have also started biting, too, as this last rain opened the river mouths and the feed biomass has become more available from the river mouth outflows. There has also been some fair catches for amberjack with the Rapalas at the white rocks. Temo added, lots of floating seaweed and debris that should bring in more dorado within just a few days.
IZ Climate: Mostly cloudy with temps from 72 nights to 90 daytime highs.
Sea Conditions: Light surface breezes from the westerly directions, stable temps at 82-83 degrees, clear waters with a greenish tint extending 50 miles offshore.
Best Fishing Area: Not reported
Best Lure/Bait: Rigged trolling baits working best on the offshore billfish. Rapalas around the white rocks, live bait for the roosterfish. |
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